New Delhi: News Broadcasters Association (NBA), a representative body of private television news channels, on Tuesday elected Rajat Sharma as president at its 10th annual general meeting.
Sharma is chairman and editor-in-chief of India TV.This will be Sharma’s third stint as NBA president. He was at the helm of the organisation from 2014 to 2016. He was followed by Ashok Venkatramani, former chief executive officer of ABP News Network Pvt Ltd, who stepped down in September 2016. Ashish Bagga, group chief executive officer (CEO) of India Today Group became the next NBA president, but he resigned in July 2017.
M.V. Shreyams Kumar, joint managing director of Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Co. Ltd. has been elected NBA vice-president. The board also appointed Anurradha Prasad, chairperson and managing director at News24 Broadcast India Ltd, as honorary treasurer.
“I thank all members for electing me as the president of NBA. As president, I hereby take the opportunity to reassure members that we shall walk together in bringing in more credibility and independence to the news broadcasting industry,” Sharma said in an e-mailed statement.
“I shall put in my best efforts to make the fraternity more accepting of our contemporaries, striving for healthy competition,” he added.
Other board members of NBA include M.K. Anand, managing director & chief executive officer, Times Network; K.V.L. Narayan Rao, group CEO & executive vice-chairperson at NDTV Group; Rahul Joshi, chief executive officer, news & group editor-in-chief at TV18 Broadcast Ltd; Rajiv Singh, executive director & chief operating officer at Zee Media Corporation Ltd; Avinash Pandey, chief operating officer at ABP News Network Pvt. Ltd; and I. Venkat, director at Eenadu Television Pvt. Ltd.